A night that promised so much ended up delivering so little. What was supposed to be a coronation ended in calamity.
Tom Aspinall versus Ciryl Gane, the two best heavyweights on the planet, facing off, in Abu Dhabi, in the headline match of UFC 321. One of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year, declared a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke by the challenger on the champion.
Aspinall suffered damage to his right eye after Gane accidentally poked him during an exchange late in the first round. After being examined by doctors, it was determined that Aspinall would be unable to continue, with referee Jason Herzog calling off the fight with just under 30 seconds remaining of the opening round.
“One of those things – what are you gonna do?” a thoroughly hacked off Dana White told reporters at the post-fight press conference.
Plenty of talk before the fight was whether Gane would be good enough to last one round against Aspinall, a man with a penchant for blasting people out early.
In the end, it proved prescient. Gane was unable to take Aspinall into a second round, let alone drag him into deep waters, as the Frenchman had claimed he was willing to do. The whole thing lasted less than five minutes.
White's disappointment echoed that of the more than 13,000 in attendance at Etihad Arena. The fight kicked off well after midnight. A cacophony of noise in support of the champion turned into unexpected boos.
“What am I supposed to do? I can’t … see,” an exasperated Aspinall asked the crowd during his post-fight interview.
UFC president White confirmed Aspinall was on his way to the hospital to get checked out. Talk inevitably turned to when the rematch will take place.
“Both are in shape, other than whatever is wrong with his [Aspinall’s] eyes. As soon as possible,” White affirmed.
White had told The National on Thursday he felt plenty of people had “gone to sleep” on Gane following his 2023 defeat to Jon Jones.
This was Gane's third attempt at UFC gold, and White was impressed with what he saw from the Frenchman before the fight was called off.
“I think that after the Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Cyril Gane off. I thought he looked pretty damn good tonight.
“It looked like we were in for a few rounds tonight and it was going to be a good fight.”
It was a wholly unsatisfying end to the night. Many of the fans in Abu Dhabi were very much 'Team Tom' but booed the champion for what perhaps they perceived was a lack of will to fight through the pain.
That's unlikely to be the case. Aspinall is as brave as they come. What is not up for question is just how badly he struggled against the free-flowing Frenchman in their four minutes of action.
A series of jabs had bloodied the nose of Aspinall and Gane was hungry to attack the champion's lead leg. Gane, a master of managing distance, was proving adept at keeping Aspinall at bay.
“I think we both started very well,” Gane told reporters. “Everyone knows he always comes out strong early. But I think I did well too, stopping the takedown and caught him with some good shots.
“We saw some blood on his nose. It was shaping up to be a really great first round, so yes, I’m a little disappointed, a little sad that it ended like this. But that’s part of the sport.
“At first I was really sad, then I was really angry because I didn't want him to stop the fight, to stop fighting. And after that, I apologised to him, and to all the people who came to see the fight.”
Asked specifically about the eye poke, Gane said: “I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't feel anything specific [when his fingers touched Aspinall's eyes]. I know what it's like to have an eye poke, I got one against Derrick Lewis, I was seeing two of him for the rest of the round. So I know how it is.”
For all the disappointment and frustration that lingered into the early hours at Etihad Arena, the night served as another reminder of how deeply Abu Dhabi has embedded itself in the fabric of the UFC.
The result may have been inconclusive, but the stage, the spectacle, and the stakes were once again immense.
For Aspinall, the road to redemption begins with recovery. For Gane, there will be a renewed belief that his story at the top is far from over.
